7 I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth.
I have seen serfs on horseback, and princes walking like serfs afoot.
(7.) I have observed servants (slaves, that is, who ought to serve) upon horseback, and princes walking as servants (‘ought to do’ is no doubt involved in this expression——‘servants’ repeated being emphatic) upon the earth (i.e. afoot).
8 He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him.
One digs a pit, into that he falls: or breaks a hedge, gets bitten by a serpent.
(8.) Dig (not necessarily either a participle or an imperative) a pitfall (גומץ occurs here only, and is said to be a late word; it occurs in Arabic and Syriac. That a ‘pitfall’ is meant is evident from the context), in it (emphatic) he falls (a sinister intent in digging this pit is not necessarily implied, but the context shows that such is primarily aimed at: this is the more evident when we recollect that חָפַר is to ‘dig,’ and [♦]חָפֵר ‘to bring to confusion’); and break a wall (i.e. an enclosure, see Job xix. 8 for the precise meaning of the root, hence also Numbers xxii. 24), bites him a serpent (as we say, ‘gets bitten by a serpent,’ which would naturally lurk in loose stone walls).
[♦] “חָפֵד” replaced with “חָפֵר”